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9 April 2019 Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli and Tetracycline-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Wild Raptors of Alabama and Georgia, USA
Terri Hathcock, Anil Poudel, Yuan Kang, Patrick Butaye, Donna Raiford, Tyler Mobley, Chengming Wang, Jamie Bellah
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Abstract

Wild birds inhabit in a wide variety of environments and can travel great distances. Thus, wild birds can possibly spread antimicrobial resistance along the way, and this may represent a potential public health concern. We characterized antimicrobial resistance in fecal Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis in wild raptors in the southeastern US. Cloacal samples were collected from 118 wild raptors of 17 species from 18 counties in Alabama and 15 counties in Georgia. A total of 112 E. coli and 76 E. faecalis isolates were recovered, and we found significantly more antimicrobial-resistant E. coli (20/112, 18%) than E. faecalis (6/76, 8%; P=0.05). Five antimicrobialresistant genes: blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-1, tet(M), cmlA, cat, and gyrA, were identified in antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates. Five of 13 (38%) ampicillin-resistant E. coli harbored both bla-TEM-1 and blaCTX-M-1 genes, indicating they are extended-spectrum β-lactamase–carrying strains. Both of the tetracycline resistance genes, tet(M) and tet(L), were identified in E. faecalis isolates. Wild raptors seem to be a reservoir host of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and E. faecalis and may represent a hazard to animal and human health by transmission of these isolates.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2019
Terri Hathcock, Anil Poudel, Yuan Kang, Patrick Butaye, Donna Raiford, Tyler Mobley, Chengming Wang, and Jamie Bellah "Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli and Tetracycline-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Wild Raptors of Alabama and Georgia, USA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55(2), 482-487, (9 April 2019). https://doi.org/10.7589/2018-05-139
Received: 22 May 2018; Accepted: 11 July 2018; Published: 9 April 2019
KEYWORDS
antimicrobial resistance
Enterococcus faecalis
Escherichia coli
extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing
raptors
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